Our pilot study objectives are twofold: to establish the pattern of normal, age-related distribution of extracellular matrix proteoglycan with reactive epitopes; to establish whether changes ia various levels of expressivity can be detected in Alzheimer Disease when compared to the staining fingerprint pattern established for normal, age related controls. Hippocampus from Alzheimer Disease patients and controls will be frozen or Paraffin imbedded, sectioned and monoclonal antibodies to various proteoglycan epitopes (e.g. chondroitins, Keratan and dermatan sulfates) used to visualize their antigenic reactivity. We will produce immunostain fingerprint patterns which can be used to objectively access the changes which occur in the extracellular matrix of brain tissue as a function of normal aging and dementia. We have recently used this technology in developing chick brain where such changing patterns in some cases were correlated with major functional transitions. Eventually, we hope to generate animal models which mimic these changes.